When you need help with your online business, it might be time to consider outsourcing.
Are you frustrated trying to get everything done in your business? Or maybe you simply run out of time.
The success of any business is all about productivity. When you work very efficiently, you reduce costs and increase profits.
When you waste time, energy, and money unnecessarily, you reduce profits while also putting the life of your business at risk.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines outsource as: “verb – to send away some of a company’s work to be done by people outside the company.” This can mean hiring a local temp service or a professional freelancer.
By outsourcing you free yourself up to do the things that will grow your business.
Here are 7 Business Tasks You Should Consider Outsourcing.
1. Managing Your Email Inbox
Email is one of the deadliest time killers you will encounter in your business. It is very easy to spend more time than you should managing your email.
A general virtual assistant (GVA) can filter your email, create autoresponder content, answer customer service emails, and free up time every week by handling these tasks for you.
2. Website Content Creation
Bloggers and businesses should be adding new content to their website frequently. Outsource the content creation can be scary because it directly affects your online business.
There are many resources available for you to find content creators that will do a good job for you. Your job will be to filter and find the best one for your specific business.
Many have experience writing blog posts, recording videos, creating press releases, writing off-line marketing copy, and other content creation chores that can free up a significant amount of time each week and month.
3. Social Media Management
Engaging prospects on Facebook and Twitter can be fun. However, it can also be very time-consuming.
Outsource at least some of this interaction to trusted team members. Other social networking tasks like attending conferences and trade shows can also be outsourced.
4. Customer Follow-Up
Even if you own a very small business, your time is probably better spent if you outsource basic customer follow-up.
Your business should be communicating with each and every customer you have. This is especially true after a sale.
Follow-up allows you to build customer loyalty and understand what you did right and what you can do better in the future.
Just be sure to thoroughly train your customer follow-up team member in the appropriate ways to interact with your customers.
5. Public Relations
Sometimes it is important to have your face and voice connected with your brand. However, many public relations tasks can be outsourced inexpensively without diluting your message. And often, a PR specialist can do a much better job than you can.
6. Web Development
Some business owners handle their own web development and design chores to lower expenses.
This can be a mind-numbing, tedious waste of time, especially if it’s not your strength.
It also contains the hidden cost of taking up your personal time, which is the one thing that you can never get back.
Take the time to find a good web developer that understands your business and can be trusted to provide the service you need and want.
7. Calendar Management
Outsource your appointment setting, travel booking, meeting schedule, and other business calendar tasks.
You should be spending your time doing what you do best, running your business, rather than keeping your own appointment book. This is true in both your personal and business lives.
In Conclusion
Outsourcing by itself will not solve all your issues and sometimes it can add to your frustration.
What is important is that you take the time to find a few people that fit your job description. Give them some starter projects to work on, evaluate their work and create a good working relationship with them.
This may be a process you will have to do several times until you find the right one. I speak from experience when I say that you should have more that one you like working with. Don’t make the mistake of relying on only one person.